


A girl in the lake

by Zeowle



Category: No Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:08:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29714889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeowle/pseuds/Zeowle
Summary: work





	A girl in the lake

That day was so clear in his head, the events etched eerily into his mind. Forever haunting, forever playing. Stuck in a never-ending loop.

It was early afternoon when Ethen peered into the forbidden overgrowth of tatterwood. Seven other children staring as well. He had never really talked to any of the other kids, only joining the expedition with his sister Jodi and his other friends -Eva and Conner. Gently the sun had touched their skins, kissing the dark surface of his cheeks with a soft tingle. Truth be told, none of them shouldn’t have been in the forest in the first place, let alone anywhere near its borders. But as the mid-autumn breeze past a delicate leaf into his hands, Ethen couldn’t help to run joyously into the trees welcoming home, seven shouting and screaming children following behind. He never knew that that joyous smile on his face would be his last.

A quick game of hide and seek had been played amongst the home of mother nature, many hiding spaces being acquired due to the abundance of greenery tatterwood had to offer. Though due to this an unsuccessful game of tag was held, the overgrowth and roots along the floor bed had caused many to trip or tumble into bushes, and many had an injury of some sort to cry about. Ethan had sported a graze on each elbow, while Eva had a thin cut across her cheek.

During a game of catch it had been decided that a place to eat should be found. And that’s when they had discovered the door. It was a gateway to his demise, though Ethen never knew this. so, as he peeked around the shoulder of Conner, a sudden curiosity entered him. It was strange after all to find a gate in the middle of a forest, man-made structure seeming to intertwin with the natural flow of nature. Its dark wood complimenting the vibrant ivy climbing its walls and the bright colours of the wildflowers gathered at its front made it seem like it belonged there. A girl came to the front of the group, claiming that she was the strongest. Ethen watched silently as she rammed her shoulder into the door. It had burst open with a scream, doors hanging weakly on its hinges. Smile as wide as a pancake, the girl had basked in the adoration of the younger ones of the group, giving high fives and fist bumps.

She hadn’t known what she’d done, Ethen couldn’t blame her she never knew that it was there. None of them had.

It was decided that three would be left to stay by the entrance while the rest went to look for a place to eat, the group would come back when they found one. That was how they came across the lake, the surface unmoving, still. Though the children didn’t notice as they came closer for a better view. They found it odd how there was no animals by the body of water, now that Ethen had thought about it he hadn’t seen any living creature at all, not even an ant. Coming closer to the waters edge the boy had heard the call of his sister as she pointed below them. Jumping back in disgust Ethen could feel the turning of his stomach. The bank was red. It was thick, moist and as he shakily reached down. It was blood. Conner had commented on the condition of the liquid, its colour was pitch, the blackest of blacks. An abyss in the forest. Scooping up a handful, it had come out the same, a deep midnight. The youngest of the group a short girl started to cry, she ‘didn’t like it here anymore’.

Behind her Ethen could see serrations in the wood of a tree, marks deep and deadly. No animal could have made those. And as they had all found some abnormality or another, the chill and stillness in the air went unnoticed.

A cry came from a boy who had been playing with the water of the lake, he was gone. The foot of his shoe the last thing seen as he was dragged into the pothole. Everyone had backed away now. Eyes wide, mouths agape. Soft clouds of white travelled past Ethan’s lips as he grabbed a hold of his sister. What was that? Harshly, the wind had picked up speed, urging the children to edge nearer to the pool of hell. Though they had resisted, steadily watching the luminescent glow slowly grow wider. The water was now a glittering grey, Ethan almost wanted to touch it, he gripped his sisters shoulders tighter.

Covering their eyes the group winced at the flash of white. peeking through her fingers, jodi tugged urgently at her brothers sleeves.


End file.
